PREFACE iv 



No one would attempt to study Birds successfully without 

 ultimately referring to the works of this great man. Much 

 of his material has been found a valuable help in the prepara- 

 tion of these pages. 



The works of nearly all of our well-known writers of to- 

 day, that were available, have been consulted, also, that noth- 

 ing essential to a clear exposition of the subject might be 

 omitted. 



I shall hold myself personally responsible for the material 

 alone of which this work is composed, and not for typograph- 

 ical errors discovered too late to remedy them. 



Winfrid A. Stearns. 

 Atlanta, Ga., 

 July 1, 1895. DSI 



